Thinking about outsourcing top-of-funnel? This guide breaks down the current pricing models, the true cost of an in-house SDR, and how to calculate your cost-per-meeting (CPM) so you can make a clean build vs. buy decision.
Compare the true costs of building an in-house SDR team versus outsourcing. See CPM & ROI instantly.
Budgeting only for base salary misses reality. A productive SDR carries compensation, employer burden, tool stack, data & enrichment, enablement, and management time.
| Cost component | Typical monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base + variable comp (OTE) | $6,500–$9,500 | US OTE ranges, market/location swing |
| Employer taxes & benefits | $1,300–$2,000 | ~20–25% burden typical |
| Sales engagement & data tools | $200–$600 | Sales engagement, dialer, enrichment, inbox infra |
| Management / enablement overhead | $800–$1,800 | Manager time, QA, coaching, reporting |
| Fully loaded monthly | $9,800–$14,200 | After ramp (3–4 months) for a productive rep |
Formula: CPM = (Monthly Cost) ÷ (Qualified Meetings Delivered)
| Scenario | Monthly cost | Qualified meetings / mo | CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house SDR (fully loaded) | $11,500 | 10–14 | $821–$1,150 |
| Outsourced retainer | $5,000 | 10–14 | $357–$500 |
| Pay-per-meeting (PPM) | $250–$600 per meeting | Metered | $250–$600 |
PPM looks cheapest at low volumes. As your target rises (e.g., 18–24 meetings/mo), mid-range retainers usually beat PPM on CPM while improving quality control.
Since 2024, Gmail & Yahoo enforce tighter rules (authentication, one-click unsubscribe within 2 days, and keeping spam reports well under 0.3%). Ignore these and CPM explodes as inboxing tanks. Good providers absorb this complexity.
Related: Parallel dialing • Best cold email tools • Multi-channel outbound
PPM works best when you have tight ICP definitions, modest volume targets, and you’re testing market fit.
When it doesn’t: if you need 18–24+ meetings/mo, a mid-range retainer usually beats PPM on CPM with better learning velocity.
| Outsource when… | Consider in-house when… |
|---|---|
| You need pipeline next month, not in 3–4 months of hiring & ramp. | You have repeatable messaging, a manager with SDR capacity, and long-term hiring plans. |
| You lack deliverability, data contracts, or enablement bandwidth. | You require deep product discovery before every meeting. |
| You prefer predictable CPM at target volumes (e.g., 12–20 meetings/mo). | Your ACV is high and bespoke personalization is mission-critical every time. |
Compare vendors: SalesHive reviews & alternatives • Outbound Sales Pro vs MemoryBlue • Best outsourced SDR agencies (2025)
Drop your numbers into the calculator above (ACV, win rate, meeting target). We’ll show you break-even points for retainer vs. PPM vs. in-house—plus how deliverability risk changes CPM.
Programs bundling email + LinkedIn + phone with QA and coaching command higher retainers but lift held-meeting rate and downstream SQLs. If you’re new to multi-channel, start with our Multi-Channel Outbound Playbook.
Healthy domain reputation requires in-house sending infrastructure (inboxes, warmup, rotation, throttles, seed testing). This is a core driver of pricing—and outcomes. See “infrastructure” considerations woven through our Sales Outsourcing (2025) guide.
Security, infra, and healthcare ICPs carry research, compliance, and coaching overhead. Pricing reflects higher message craftsmanship and QA—but stabilizes quality of meetings. Related: AI SDRs vs Human SDRs (2025).
Planning scope? Compare retainer-inclusive programs in our Outsourced SDR Services overview.
See vendor-by-vendor differences in SalesHive Reviews & Alternatives (2025).
Explore when hybrid wins in our Best Appointment Setting Companies roundup.
Enrichment, role/intent signals, phone append, verification, and list QA. Sloppy data → spam traps, low connect %, and wasted dials. For the SDR motion itself, see our SDR guide.
Inbox pools, warmup, rotation, throttles, seed testing, reputation monitoring. This protects deliverability as you scale. We explain the channel mix in the multi-channel playbook.
Call reviews, objection libraries, variant testing, “first-live-pickup” parallel dialing. Tooling options in Best Dialer Software for SDRs (2025).
Pipeline / month = meetings × held % × SQL % × avg deal value × close %. If you’re comparing build vs buy, also review In-House vs Outsourced SDR Cost (2025).
24 meetings × 70% held × 35% SQL × $22k × 18% close ≈ $66k pipeline / month.
Cost / held meeting = monthly fee ÷ held meetings (anchor on held & qualified, not just “booked”).
For a fuller buyer’s guide, see Sales Outsourcing (2025).
Compare model trade-offs in SalesHive Reviews & Alternatives.
A scheduled meeting that actually happens (attendee present). Anchor economics on held, not merely “booked”.
Calling multiple numbers concurrently to connect the rep to the first live pickup, maximizing talk time. Read the dialer breakdown: Best Dialer Software for SDRs.
Domain pools, inbox warmup/rotation, throttles, and seed testing used to protect deliverability while scaling volume—covered in our multi-channel guide.
Our cold email outreach is designed to beat spam filters, generate high quality leads and appointments that close.
Our infrastructure allows us to scale volume quickly. Growing your sales team? We can provide your team with more appointments!
